Trapped
by suzie2b
Summary: Snipers have headquarters at Ras Tanura pinned down.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Trapped**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **Charley was at headquarters making her last few deliveries before lunch. She set several envelopes on Lieutenant Winters desk. The lieutenant smiled at her from across the room where he stood at the window, and said, "Thank you, Charley." He pointed to a file folder on the desk. "Would you mind getting that to Captain Boggs? I believe he's waiting for it."**

 **Charley picked up the folder. "I'll get it to him right away, sir."**

 **Lieutenant Winters began to thank her again when there was the sound of breaking glass and the lieutenant fell to the floor. Before Charley had time to react a second bullet came through the window and caught her in the left arm above the elbow. She cried out and dove for the floor as a third bullet hit the wall behind the desk.**

 **Charley crawled over to Lieutenant Winters, but before she rolled him onto his back she knew he was dead. The bullet had passed through the back of his head and exited his forehead just above his right eye. Charley heard glass breaking in the next office over as more shots were fired and decided it would be best to get out.**

 **As she crawled towards the door, a bullet ricocheted off the floor next to her. Another whizzed past her head and hit the door. Charley detoured back to the desk, pushed the chair away, and crawled under it.**

 **##################**

 **A frantic call came over the radio saying that Ras Tanura was under sniper attack. The Rat Patrol immediately responded by speeding back to base ahead of a platoon that was also answering the call.**

 **They arrived outside the gates forty-five minutes later. The guards were dead. They could hear shooting and Troy said, "If we drive in we'll be sitting ducks."**

 **Moffitt said, "I've a feeling we'll be sitting ducks no matter how we go in. It sounds like a one-sided gun battle in there."**

 **Hitch said, "There is another way in."**

 **Tully nodded. "Yeah … through one of the drainage lines that run under the wall."**

 **Troy looked at the two privates sternly. "And how do you know this?"**

 **Hitch replied innocently, "Tully and I came across one when we caught a couple of kids sneaking in with some contraband they were planning to sell."**

 **Tully said, "We took the stuff and reported it to the MPs. The last I heard there were grates and locks being put on all of 'em."**

 **Troy looked at Moffitt, who nodded, then said, "Okay, let's go."**

 **##################**

 **Charley heard the office door open and a voice said, "Lieutenant Winters?"**

 **Charley called, "Kyle, get down!"**

" **Charley? Where are you?"**

" **Under the desk! Get…" A bullet blasted through the window and Charley listened as the private dropped to the floor. Tentatively, she called, "Kyle?" There was no answer and she began to cry softly.**

 **A few minutes later Charley heard shuffling sounds and then another voice was heard through the open office door. "Lieutenant Winters?"**

 **Charley called, "Keep your head down, Major Gleason!"**

" **I am, Charley. Where's the lieutenant?"**

" **Over by the window. He's dead."**

 **The major peeked careful around the door to see Lieutenant Winters body and the pool of blood he was laying in. "Are you injured, Charley?"**

 **She looked at her arm and the blood-soaked sleeve. "I took a hit in the arm, sir."**

" **All right, let's get you out of there."**

 **Charley shook her head even though Major Gleason couldn't see her. "Every time I move out from under this desk someone shoots at me. What's going on, major?"**

" **Snipers. They've managed to pin us down."**

" **Can't someone call for help?"**

 **Major Gleason said, "It's been taken care of. We're just going to have to sit tight until they get here."**

 **Charley asked, "Is anyone else hurt, sir?"**

 **The major hesitated, then chose to tell her the truth. "Counting Lieutenant Winters, and Private Harris here … there are five dead that I know of and at least a dozen wounded throughout the building."**

" **Captain Boggs?"**

" **He's fine. We're working to get people into the hallways, out of the line of fire."**

 **Charley said, "Wish I could join you, sir."**

 **Major Gleason said, "So do I, Charley."**

 **##################**

 **Hitch and Tully drove around to where one of the drainage lines were. Tully knelt down and discovered the lock had been cut off the grate. "This must be where those snipers got in."**

 **It was a tight squeeze as they crawled through the concrete pipe. The lock was cut off on the inside grate as well, and they found a set of bolt cutters too.**

 **The first thing they noticed when the crawled out of the pipe was the fact that there was no one on the street. It was eerily quiet except for the background pops of gunfire. Moffitt said, "People no doubt went into hiding when the shooting starting."**

 **Troy said, "It sounds like the shooting is centered on headquarters. Let's see what we can find out."**

 **The four of them ran through alleys, staying out of sight until they came across a group of soldiers hold up behind a building within sight of headquarters. Troy looked at a corporal that was among the eight men and said, "Tell us what you know."**

 **The corporal said, "We've been able to make out that there's at least a half-dozen shooters. Two are high and two others are low. They're pretty spread out. There's also two stationed somewhere at the back of the building. They're keeping headquarters pinned down. We've seen two of our guys make a break for it. Both were cut down before they got far."**

 **Troy looked out at the square in front of headquarters. There were two bodies lying on the steps outside the building and four more in the square. Occasionally, shots were fired at various windows, just to let those inside know they were being watched.**

 **Moffitt was next to him and after a minute of watching, he said, "I've got two of them spotted, Troy."**

" **Where?"**

" **That building to the left. There's a staff car parked out front. He's on the roof. I saw a puff of smoke when he fired. The other is down below in the warehouse building. He's shooting from a second story window."**

 **Troy nodded. "Right. Hitch, you and Tully go around back and see what you can do about those two. Moffitt and I will take care of the front."**

 **The corporal asked, "Can we do anything to help?"**

 **Troy saw that several of the men were armed, but said, "The fewer out there being targets the better. Stay here. You'll know if we need you."**

 **##################**

 **Hitch and Tully made their way around to the back of headquarters. They watched as the snipers took shots and heard glass shatter as the bullets went through windows. Finally, Tully said, "From the angle of the shots they're both up high." He pointed. "Probably on one of those two roofs. That's about seven hundred yards away."**

 **Hitch nodded. "Yeah, but which one?"**

" **I suppose we need to go find out."**

" **Let's go."**

 **##################**

 **Troy and Moffitt skirted the square and went into the warehouse without being seen. There were both soldiers and locals hold up inside. One of the soldiers said, "He's upstairs. A couple of guys tried to get to him, but they didn't make it. We're unarmed so we figured it would be better to wait for help."**

 **At the bottom of the stairs, Troy whispered to Moffitt, "We'll try to take him without shooting our guns. They'll know the difference and it's better his friends don't know they're down a man."**

 **Moffitt gave a nod. The sergeants moved quickly and quietly up to the second floor. They saw the two dead American soldiers in a doorway and silently made their way in that direction. With Troy on one side of the door and Moffitt on the other, they peered inside the room to see a German kneeling at the window, taking shots with a high-powered K98k Mauser sniper rifle. They went inside and crept up behind the shooter. Troy cracked his skull with the butt of his machine gun.**

 **Moffitt slung his machine gun over his shoulder and grabbed the impressive rife as the German fell to the floor. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and swung around with the rifle. He fired a single shot and the second German went down. "I wonder if the others are also working in pairs."**

 **##################**

 **Hitch and Tully made a wide circle around until they were close to the buildings in question. Silently they each watched a roofline until one of them spotted the barrel of a rifle sticking out over the edge. Tully nudged Hitch and pointed to their quarry. Then Hitch pointed to the roof he'd been watching. There was a shooter on both buildings.**

 **They each took a building. They quickly mounted the stairs to their respective targets. They both found bodies of the soldiers who had tried to get to the German snipers, but failed.**

 **On silent feet Hitch made his way across to where the German was kneeling with his rifle. Just as he was within striking distance, the sniper turned and started to bring his rifle around. But it was too late, as Hitch kicked the rifle away and brought the butt of his machine gun down on the German's head.**

 **Tully crossed the open expanse of the rooftop as quickly and quietly as he could. As he came up behind the German sniper, he pulled his long-bladed knife from its sheath. Tully was quick as he reached around to put his hand over the German's mouth and plunge the knife into his back.**

 **When they exited the buildings, Hitch and Tully looked at each other and gave a thumbs up. Then they went off to find Troy and Moffitt.**

 **##################**

 **Charley's arm hurt and she was woozy. "Major Gleason?"**

" **I'm still here."**

" **I'm not feeling too good."**

 **Major Gleason asked, "Is your arm still bleeding?"**

 **Charley looked at it. "No … it finally stopped. But it hurts and I feel sick."**

 **Captain Boggs appeared next to the major and said quietly, "Something's happening out there. It appears that there's less shooting. I think our help has arrived."**

 **Major Gleason nodded, then said, "Hang on, Charley. It would seem that help is coming." There was no reply. "Charley, did you hear me?"**

 **##################**

 **Hitch and Tully found Troy and Moffitt after they'd taken out a second team of shooters on a rooftop and were waiting just inside the building on the ground floor. Troy whispered, "They're working in teams. That means there's four left instead of two." He pointed to a building down the street as another shot was fired. "Tully, you and Hitch head down that way. They're on the ground floor. Moffitt and I will take the other pair next door. By now they must be realizing they're missing some people, so be careful."**

 **Hitch and Tully went around to the back door and went inside. They circled around to come at the team from two angles. Hitch accidently kicked a chair as he walked by it and both snipers turned to face him. He and Tully both fired machine gun bursts and dropped both where they stood. A minute later, as they went around to the front of the building, more gunfire was heard. Then it got quiet. As the two privates stared up at the second story windows, Troy leaned out and gave a wave to indicate it was clear.**

 **##################**

 **Soldiers and locals came out of hiding when word was passed that the attack was over. Medics and hospital staff converged on headquarters to start tending to the wounded.**

 **Tully took the stairs two at a time after he found out that Charley was upstairs and injured. As he hurried down the hallway, Major Gleason walked out of an office with an unconscious Charley in his arms. Tully's heart skipped a beat when he saw her.**

 **Major Gleason handed her over to her husband. "A bullet went through her arm. She's lost blood and is in shock."**

 **With a nod, Tully hugged his wife close and started back downstairs to go to the hospital.**

 **##################**

 **When Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully arrived at headquarters the next morning, they saw that there was quite a bit of work to be done too get things back to some sort of normalcy. Every window in the building had to be replaced and there were bullet holes everywhere.**

 **The door to Captain Boggs' office was open when they got there and Corporal Green was helping get the room back in order. The Captain saw the three men and said, "Come on in."**

 **They walked in and Troy said, "You wanted to see us, sir."**

" **I received a message from 1** **st** **Lieutenant Lopez this morning. While he and his platoon were on their way here yesterday they ran into a German company. As it turns out, that company was on their way here as well."**

 **Moffitt said with a bit of sarcasm, "I bet they weren't coming to help us out."**

 **Captain Boggs smiled. "No. What Lopez explained was the snipers were sent in to pin us down, making it easier for that German company to come in and take over."**

 **Troy said, "So I take it 1** **st** **Lieutenant Lopez took some prisoners."**

" **Yes. After a short skirmish, he and his men were able to capture the key players and a good number of others, who are telling them everything they want to know." The captain looked at Troy and his men. "I want to thank you all for a job well done. If you hadn't arrived, I'm not sure it would have turn out the way it did." He looked at Tully. "How's Charley doing?"**

 **Tully sighed. "She's got stiches in her arm and they gave her a unit of plasma yesterday, sir. The doctor says I can take her home this afternoon."**

 **##################**

 **Later that day Tully and Charley stopped in at the mess hall for a bite to eat before going home.**

 **They found Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch there. Charley went over to join them while Tully got their food.**

 **Moffitt smiled as she sat down and indicated the sling she wore. "How are you feeling?"**

 **Charley sighed. "A little loopy. Vicky made me take a pain pill before I left."**

 **Hitch asked, "How long are you going to be off duty?"**

" **The stitches come out in about five days. Dr. Baker says I should be back to work soon after."**

 **Tully set a tray in front of Charley before sitting down next to her with his own. He dutifully began to cut up the chicken breast and baked potato with butter for her. "So, what's Captain Boggs got lined up for us to do next?"**

 **Troy said, "After you and Hitch left his office this morning, he said he wants us to stay on base while things get put back together. Since the base is a little shorthanded now and there are so many helping with the cleanup, he wants us to help keep an eye on things for a week or so."**

 **Tully handed the fork to Charley as he set the knife aside. She said, "I can't eat all this."**

 **Tully said, "You can and you will. Doc Baker said you have to build your strength back up before he'll let you go back to work." She made a face at him and he smiled as he looked back at Troy. "Well, that works out pretty good then. I'll be able to keep an eye on Charley while we keep watch around here."**

 **Charley chewed a bite of chicken and swallowed. "Oh great. He's going into mother hen mode."**

 **Ignoring the comment, Tully said, "After you eat, we'll go home so you can take a nap." He looked at her tray as she took a bite of potato. "And eat the green beans too."**

 **Charley looked up him with a cocky smile. "And if I don't?"**

" **No dessert. I noticed Cookie's made some chocolate pudding."**

 **Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch started to laugh quietly.**

 **Charley cried foul. "That's bribery!"**

 **Tully grinned as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Yep. Sure is."**

 **Charley looked at the other three men at the table and said, "See what I mean? Mother hen." But she couldn't completely hide the smile on her face.**


End file.
